I Dare You
by MsBarrows
Summary: Fenris loses a bet and ends up having to pay a forfeit to Seneschal Bran. Sebastian won't let him go alone. Rated M for m/m/m


Fenris felt very small, standing between the two of them, even though he was almost as tall as they were. But the Seneschal was an important person here in Kirkwall, as his richly embroidered and well-padded doublet made abundantly clear. And Sebastian, while not as important in Kirkwall – though certainly important to Fenris, one of the very few people he thought of as a real friend – needed no padding to make the shoulders of his own outfit broad. It did not help that the two were arguing, loudly.

"The arrangement was that the elf would come on his own," Bran snapped out, glaring over Fenris' head at Sebastian.

"I will not leave Fenris to go through with this alone," Sebastian said sharply, one hand coming to rest protectively, almost possessively on Fenris' shoulder, his cheeks flushing with annoyance. "It was a foul thing for you and Isabela to involve him in your private quarrel."

Bran reddened as well, with indignation. "He went along with the bet of his own free will. He lost. This is the agreed-upon forfeit. There is no need of a... of a _chaperone!_"

Sebastian scowled angrily. Before he could speak further, Fenris decided he'd had enough, and raised his hands. "Please stop this arguing," he said sharply, then turned to Sebastian. "I _did_ agree to this," he told him stubbornly. "You said you were only going to walk with me as far as the door."

Not that he really wished the man to leave; this situation frightened him, raising long-dead ghosts of his time as a slave as it did. It had been stupid of him to enter in on Bran and Isabela's bet, but he'd been far gone in drink, and hadn't thought he'd lose. Throwing daggers, while not his forte, was something he'd acquired some little skill in since first meeting Isabela. How was he to guess that Kirkwall's Seneschal had picked up the skill at some time in the past as well? It wouldn't have been so bad if his forfeit when he lost had gone to Isabela; she was at least a friend, someone he trusted, but he'd managed a better showing against her than against Bran. By virtue of the seneschal having a larger win against him than Isabela had managed, it was Bran to whom he had to submit.

Just the thought made him feel more hesitant and fearful than he had since fleeing Tevinter and Danarius. But he'd given his word and that was not something he was willing to back down on. He met Sebastian's eyes, willing his friend to understand. This was something he _had_ to do, as shameful as it felt, or he would feel even worse shame for having failed to satisfy a debt.

Sebastian sighed, then took one of Fenris' hand in his. "Do you truly wish me gone?" he asked softly, ignoring Bran's presence. "I _know_ this frightens you; I thought that knowing I was near and would see to it that things didn't go too far might make it... easier, somehow. A foolish hope, I know, and I would not want to make things worse for you than they already are..." he trailed off, looking almost beseechingly at Fenris. "Say if I should stay or go; I will obey you," he said softly.

Fenris tried to make himself say "Go", but couldn't make any sound at all. He could feel how his hand trembled in Sebastian's grip, and felt ashamed that his fear was so readily apparent. He closed his eyes, and swallowed hard. "I must do this," he said shakily. The trembling was getting worse; it was taking all his will to stand here quietly and not beg Sebastian to take him away from here. His ears filled with a roaring sound, but somehow he didn't faint, managed to remain on his feet rather than collapsing.

"...have no need of an audience," Bran was saying quietly when he became able to track the conversation between the other two men again. "I am no monster; I will treat him gently."

There was a long silence before Sebastian answered. "If not an audience, than how about a second participant?" he asked.

Fenris lifted his head and gaped at his friend, then looked at Bran, who at first looked equally shocked, and then contemplative. "That... what are you suggesting?" the Seneschal asked, voice filled with suspicion. "I thought you had vows?"

"I do," Sebastian said, voice now steady and assured. "But I would be a poor mockery of a man if I let my vows stop me from aiding a friend. Let him be between the two of us; let me be the one he sees. It will be a reassurance for him."

A very long silence then, as the two men stared each other down.

"Very well," Bran suddenly said, looking down at Fenris. "I have no objections to such an arrangement, but let it be your decision. Shall your friend remain as a participant, or leave?"

It took very little thought to make up his mind, as tightly as he was holding onto Sebastian's hand already, as reassuring as that contact was. "Stay," he said, faintly.

"As you wish," said Bran, giving the two of them a very tiny bow, then gestured toward a nearby staircase. "In that case, this way. Gentlemen."

Sebastian snorted, just the tiniest exhale through his nose, but forbore to say anything further. Fenris removed his hand from Sebastian's grip and went in the direction indicated, the two men following him up the stairs.

"Second door on the left," Bran said as they reached the top of the stairs. Fenris gave a single short nod, and walked along the hallway to the indicated door, opening it and stepping inside.

He had expected a bedroom. What he found was a study, complete with book-lined walls and a large, very solid-looking desk in the middle of the room, facing the door, the well-padded chair on the far side of it backed by a bay lined with large windows. Bran moved by him when he stopped, walking around the desk to go close the drapes.

Sebastian stopped at his side, looking around the room. "What is this?" he asked.

Bran barely glanced their direction as he continued drawing drapes closed, methodically twitching their edges to hang perfectly straight, with no gaps between them. "My private study. I had planned to take him bent over the desk," he said calmly. "Though we will clearly need to adjust somewhat to accommodate you as well."

Sebastian nodded, and stepped away long enough to close the door before rejoining Fenris. "And disrobing?" he asked. "Do you have a preference for that?"

The drapes finished with, Bran turned back around, studying Fenris. The tip of his tongue appeared for a moment, then withdrew again. "I would prefer to disrobe the elf myself," he said.

"_The elf_ has a name," Sebastian pointed out, sounding annoyed.

The Seneschal gave him another of those very tiny bows. "Of course. I merely thought that it might be easier on Fenris if I was... impersonal, in my treatment of him."

"Given his past, I suspect the more personal the better, actually," Sebastian said, and looked at Fenris.

Fenris felt his cheeks flushing with self-conscious embarrassment. "Names would be better," he agreed.

"All right," the Seneschal said. "Then I would prefer to disrobe Fenris myself. Deal with your own clothing however you wish."

Sebastian nodded, and moved off to one side, beside a guest chair. He began removing his armour, stacking it neatly on the seat. Fenris stood where he was,watching while Bran also disrobed, draping his own clothing over the chair behind the desk. He glanced nervously back and forth between the two men as they undressed.

They were not entirely unlike each other. Sebastian, as he'd noticed earlier, had naturally broader shoulders and a more muscular chest from using his bow, but Bran was using less padding than he'd thought, and while by no means as well-built as Sebastian was... not displeasing, under his clothes. Bran looked paler than Sebastian when they were both dressed, but the untanned skin where their clothes normally covered them was alike in its pale creaminess, spotted with a few moles in Sebastian's case, and a scattering of freckles in Bran's. Sebastian was hairier, his reddish-brown hair standing out starkly against chest, arms and legs, while Bran had only a scattering of finer hairs on forearms and legs. Fenris pulled his eyes quickly away from the thicker thatch of hairs between their legs, where the first indications of interest were already evident.

Bran walked over to him, stopping a pace away to give him a long look, from head to toes. Fenris flicked a glance over toward Sebastian, and found he'd sat down, perched on the edge of the chair, and was watching the two of them attentively. Having his friend there made it... easier, to remain standing still as the seneschal reached out and touched his fingers to the first of the fastenings holding his breastplate in place. To not flinch away as it snapped open, Bran then reaching for the next, though it did make him tremble slightly. Bran's eyes flicked up to his face for a moment, then dropped again, watching what his fingers were doing as he continued undoing the fastenings, then lifted away the plate of metal. He held it out in Sebastian's direction. "You might as well make yourself useful," he said to him.

"Of course," Sebastian said, and rose, stepping over to take it from him, then placing it carefully on the seat of another guest chair.

For a few minutes the room was near-silent, the only sound being the faint clicking and scraping sounds of fastenings being undone as Bran first took off Fenris' belt, then worked his way along the row of tiny clasps that ran from neck to hem of Fenris' long vest-like jacket. He had to bend down to reach the bottom few of them. "You don't like being touched, do you?" he asked, voice carefully neutral, as he undid the last clasp and then straightened again, looking thoughtfully at Fenris.

"No. I don't" Fenris agreed.

"Then I will touch you as little as necessary," Bran said. He took hold of the edges of the jacket and drew it wide, running his eyes appreciatively over Fenris' exposed chest, leaving it like that while he briefly studied how the sleeves were fastened on, and the gauntlets over them. He bent down a little, taking hold of the Fenris' right wrist, lifting it up, then carefully worked the gauntlet on that hand off, shifting his grip carefully so as not to touch Fenris' skin anywhere it was exposed. The left gauntlet, after that, then he delicately undid the straps at elbow and wrist that held Fenris' sculpted leather sleeves in place.

He walked around behind Fenris then, which made the elf look nervously at Sebastian again. Sebastian looked calm and unbothered, and that helped settle his nerves, little as he liked having Bran behind him, where he couldn't see what his was doing. Then Bran reached over his shoulders, and took hold of his jacket, drawing it further open and then back and off with the same careful delicacy he'd done everything else. Fenris relaxed, at least a little, feeling both vulnerable at being uncovered, dressed now only from the waist down as he was, and reassured by Bran's strangely courteous manner.

The man took no liberties, not so much as a fingertip touching his bare skin, merely walked back around in front of him. Then Bran undid the lacings of Fenris' leggings, picking them loose with the same careful manner he'd done everything else so far, an intent expression on his face, lower lip caught between his teeth. Fenris glanced at Sebastian again, and found his friend studying the seneschal with an oddly interested look on his face. The archer was clearly enjoying Fenris' disrobing; his cheeks were flushed, as was his neck and upper parts of his chest, and his cock at least half-hard. Fenris swallowed, feeling his own harden in reaction, and turned his attention back to Bran.

Bran was pulling his leggings down now, down on one knee before him, and while not as flushed as Sebastian was, was even more rigidly erect. "Left foot," he said, tapping two fingers against Fenris' ankle, and carefully worked the legging off of that foot while Fenris stood balanced on one foot. "Right foot," he said next. Fenris wobbled a little that time, and nothing else being in reach, had to briefly set one hand on Bran's shoulder to steady himself. The man's skin felt hot to the touch, and he darted a startled look upwards at Fenris at the contact. Bran froze for just a moment, eyes widening, then quickly lowered his head, and finished taking off Fenris' leggings.

He rose, holding them in one hand, and held the leathers out to Sebastian without taking his eyes away from Fenris. "You are even more beautiful than I'd imaged," Bran said, voice husky.

Fenris flushed. He'd been called beautiful before; he'd never liked it. But the almost reverent way Bran said it... he couldn't truthfully say he _disliked_ that. In the mouth of his master, any words of praise had been a boost, showing pride of ownership; in that of other magisters, a desire to possess. But from Bran it was... an almost pure admiration. Lust, yes, but not possessive lust, not a desire to own, to have, to control. One of Bran's hands rose as if to touch, but stopped, still well away from his skin. The seneschal's eyes ran longingly along him again, then the faintest of frowns crossed the man's forehead and he looked thoughtfully back and forth between Fenris and Sebastian. "How if Sebastian touches you, at my direction?" he asked. "Would that... be acceptable?"

Fenris turned and looked at Sebastian. The man was reddening further; from embarrassment this time, not arousal, judging by his expression. Though perhaps a little of that, too, Fenris judged, noticing how Sebastian's erection was hardening noticeably, visibly lifting further erect.

"Yes," Fenris said, suddenly imaging Sebastian's hands on him. Something he had considered, in the past, in his most private thoughts, but had never thought might actually happen, not with Sebastian's vows. "That is acceptable."

Sebastian's eyes met his, mildly startled for a moment, and then heated, darkening with desire. "All right," Sebastian agreed, and stepped closer, before glancing at Bran. "What would you have me do?"

Bran drew a deep breath, and backed off, coming to a stop by the desk, one hip hitched up on the corner of it, his hands folded together over his bare thigh. "Stand behind Fenris," he instructed. "I wish to have a clear view of your hands. Set them on his shoulders, to start."

Sebastian nodded, and moved around out of sight. Fenris could feel the heat of his body, just inches away from his own, could smell him too, a mix of soap and leather, wood polish and male musk. Sebastian's hands settled on his shoulders, warm and dry, his grip firm. Fenris shivered slightly at the contact, heard the two men inhale suddenly and felt the tingle that meant his marks had flared to life around the points of contact. He drew a deep breath and forced himself to settle. For a moment all three of them were still, waiting.

"Run your hands slowly down his arms to his elbows," Bran finally said quietly. "And then back up again."

Sebastian's hands moved, slowly, his hard callouses dragging against the skin a little as they moved over Fenris' bare flesh, some of them rough, some rubbed smooth, depending on what had caused them. Fenris could see the movement of them out of the corners of his eyes, see the glow of his lines that followed their path. He closed his eyes, purposefully ignoring Bran for now and concentrating on enjoying the sensation of Sebastian's hands on him. A firm grasp, but still gentle, careful not to do anything that might hurt. Bran's voice continued, a quiet stream of words directing where Sebastian's hands travelled, what he touched, when and where and how... it felt good, those hands, moving so carefully over his skin. Not something to be feared, but something to be enjoyed, a good memory to be stored away and treasured. He felt his own skin heating, was aware of the building ache in his own groin, of the sounds he was making when Sebastian's touches teased at especially sensitive spots. He was leaning back against the man now, could feel the hard length of Sebastian's erection pressed against his buttocks, the streaks of moisture its tip had left on his skin.

Bran fell silent finally. "Enough," he said, voice rough. "I... how shall we do this?"

Fenris opened his eyes, feeling sluggish and a little dazed. Sebastian had clearly given this more thought than Bran; certainly more than Fenris had. He spoke right away, his own voice almost as rough as Bran's. "I can lie down on the desk," Sebastian suggested. "Fenris facing me, while you take him from behind as you'd wished to."

A brief silence, then Bran nodded. "That sounds workable," he agreed, then licked his lips. "Let him take you as I take him," he said, voice even huskier. "I would... like that very much."

"Fenris?" Sebastian asked. "Your choice."

He turned and looked at Sebastian, met his eyes for a moment. He didn't want to force Sebastian to break his vows any worse than he already was, and yet...

Sebastian seemed to read his mind. "For this one night, my vows are set aside so that I may help you," he whispered, too softly to carry any further than to Fenris' own ears. "What do _you_ wish?"

Fenris turned away and nodded, unable for a moment to speak, so touched was he by Sebastian's trust, his caring. "Yes," he finally managed to say.

"All right, we will do it that way then," Bran said, and rose to his feet, walking around the desk to open a drawer, pulling it almost all the way out of the desk before he reached down and removed a small jar. He set it down on the desk, the hard ceramic clicking against the polished wood. "We will need this," he said, voice carefully neutral again as he grasped the base and worked out the cork. He looked sideways to where Fenris and Sebastian were still standing. "I would like to prepare Fenris myself, at least, err... where I will be."

Sebastian nodded, and set one hand on Fenris' shoulder again, looking down at him. "Why don't you prepare me while he does that?" he asked quietly. "I think it might be easier for you that way."

Fenris nodded jerkily, feeling a little tense again. Sebastian walked over to the desk, seemingly unconcerned as he turned and sat down on the edge of it, then lay back, lifting and spreading his legs, his hands hooking behind his own knees to hold himself spread. He rolled his head to the side to look at Fenris, and smiled, a warm and open smile. "Come," he called softly. "It will be all right, I promise."

Fenris nodded again, and walked over, moving to stand facing the desk, between Sebastian's ankles. He looked at the open pot of salve being silently offered to him by Bran, then carefully scooped some out. Bran did the same, then set it down off to one side.

"It will be all right, Fenris," Sebastian repeated quietly, meeting Fenris' gaze. "Just watch me, and think of what you're doing as you prepare me."

He nodded yet again, still not trusting his voice, then reached down to smear the salve between Sebastian's buttocks. A warm hand settled on his own buttocks as he did so, fingers easing his cheeks apart, then there was a cool touch as a dab of salve touched his own skin. He shivered at the contact, but forced himself to concentrate on Sebastian, as he spread the salve around a little with his fingertips, then pressed against his entrance with one finger, feeling the puckered flesh quiver and then slowly yield, his salve-slicked finger sliding slowly inwards. Sebastian's eyes closed, head dropping back, a slight moan escaping him. Bran's finger was probing at Fenris in much the same way, and he couldn't prevent a slight flinch and sudden tensing when it slipped into him.

"It's all right," Bran and Sebastian both said in almost identical tones and at almost the same time, Sebastian's eyes opening and head raising a little. He exchanged an amused look with Bran, then returned his gaze to meet Fenris' eyes. "Just watch me," Sebastian repeatedly. "Nothing else matters."

Fenris drew and released a couple of deep breaths, until he relaxed again. Bran's finger resumed its slow inward push. He forced himself to ignore that, to concentrate on what his own finger was doing, easing in and out of Sebastian, then in again, twisting slightly to spread around the salve. Then, after a while, a second finger. He stared now, watching Sebastian reacting to that very intimate touch, the way his head fell back again, the arch of his throat, his adam's apple bobbing back and forth under the skin as he gasped and then swallowed... the way his hips tilted and his back arched just the littlest bit, inviting more. Fenris swallowed as well, his own mouth going dry.

Bran's fingers no longer felt invasive, but a necessary counterpoint to what he himself was doing, his own cock rigidly erect, moisture beading at its tip. He could not suppress a moan of pleasure as the pads of Brans fingers stroked back and forth over just the right spot inside of him. Did not _want_ to suppress the moan, even as he realized he was arching his own back, pressing himself back against the seneschal's fingers, wanting _more_.

Bran sounded short of breath when he finally spoke again. "Fenris. Put some on yourself, and enter him," he ordered.

Fenris nodded, hand already reaching for more salve, in agreement with Bran now, wanting it to be him inside of Sebastian now, not just his fingers. He hurriedly applied the salve to himself, groaning as his hand slid slick and cool along his sensitized length, palmed over his reddened tip. He met Sebastian's eyes again as he guided his tip to where his fingers had been, then slowly pushed in. Sebastian gasped and tensed for a moment, then relaxed again, taking short panting breaths as Fenris leaned over him, sinking deeper and deeper in. So hot, so tight... so _perfect_, everything about it, even the continued presence of Bran's fingers deep in himself, sparking extra waves of pleasure as he shifted position. When he stopped they all remained still, his weight braced mostly on his palms against the smooth surface of the desk, Sebastian's eyes fluttering open and closed again, his breathing slowly evening out . Bran was motionless as well, apart from a continued slow, tiny motion of his fingertips, his other hand resting lightly on the small of Fenris' back.

Sebastian finally sighed, and smiled. "All right," he said. "Next step." He freed his hands from behind his knees, Fenris' position keeping them up and spread now, and instead raised them to cup Fenris' face, one thumb running lightly across the elf's lips. "Just watch me," he whispered, then moved his head a little to the side to look at Bran. "Go ahead," he told him. "Carefully."

"Of course," Bran said. He must have already prepared himself while Fenris was distracted, the elf realized, as Bran's fingers slid out of him and were immediately replaced by the pressure of the man's tip against Fenris' entrance. He gasped and tensed as it eased past the ring of muscles, feeling so much larger than the fingers had been. Too large, too fast; it _hurt_. He shivered, eyes shutting, as he was overwhelmed by ugly old memories, things he didn't _want_ to remember...

"Fenris. Fenris. It's all right," he heard. Sebastian's voice, calm and soothing. Sebastian's hands, cupping his face. "Open your eyes, Fenris, look at me."

He did, trusting that voice, blinking back tears as he looked down into bright blue eyes that despite their cold colour were warm and caring. "Just watch me, Fenris. It's all right, you're safe. Neither of us wishes to hurt you. Okay?"

He managed a nod. Bran's hands were resting on either side of his waist now, the man still, waiting. When he resumed moving, it was even more slowly than before. Uncomfortable still as he eased inside, slowly filling Fenris, but no more pain. The pressure of it forced Fenris a little deeper into Sebastian as well, drawing moans from both of them.

Bran shivered at the sound. "_Maker...!_" he gasped out, then finally came to a stop, all three of them joined tightly together, the seneschal bent right over to rest his forehead against Fenris' back, his gasping breaths gusting cool across Fenris' sweat-moistened skin. Finally he straightened up again, slowly. "Moving... is going to be tricky," he managed to say.

Sebastian smiled, more of an amused smirk than anything else. "Luckily for you both, I have experience with this particular arrangement of bodies," he said. "Bran – move back a little, just an inch or two. Fenris will need some room to move. Right... now Fenris, straighten up as well."

Fenris did so, gingerly changing position, missing the touch of Sebastian's hands as soon as his head lifted away from them. He moaned as the change in position made him slide a little inside of Sebastian, Bran slide a little inside of him. That felt... that felt... there weren't words for how that had felt. _Good_.

"Right," Sebastian said softly, and shifted a little, reaching under his own legs, not to hook his hands behind the knees as he had before, but letting his knees rest over his wrists instead. "Take my hands, Fenris."

Fenris slipped his hands into Sebastian's offered grip, feeling warmed and steadied again by the other man's touch. He did not need to be told to watch only Sebastian now; he doubted he could have looked away from the man spread out so wantonly before him, flushed with arousal, hair damp with sweat and smiling so warmly up at him.

"Put your hands on his hips, Bran," Sebastian instructed, voice still quiet. "You'll need to help him move, at first. All right. Bran, you'll need to brace yourself a little. Now, Fenris, you need to pull back from me a little, until you're flush against himm, and then you can go forward again, into me. Bran and I will try to stay still for now. Ready?"

Fenris nodded, and by the slight movement of Bran's hands against his hips, guessed the other man had nodded as well. "Good. All right, Fenris, move when you're ready to."

He took several deep, steadying breaths before he finally moved. The first move was jerky, all of them a little tense, and he hissed in discomfort as he pressed backwards against Bran, being filled by him again. He had to stop and take another breath or two before attempting a forward motion. But with Sebastian's hands giving him a firm pull forward, and Bran's pressing gently against his hips, he managed it. The second stroke went more easily, and the _sensation_... he couldn't begin to describe how it felt, the rub of Bran's cock inside him, gliding over the sensitive spot inside and then filling him, the tight drag of Sebastian's flesh against his own as he thrust slowly in and out of him, the heat of it all. And then it went faster, as they relaxed and movement became easier, their motion spreading out the slick coating of salve more thoroughly than their fingers had managed. They were all gasping with the effort of it, making little cries of pleasure, as Fenris swayed back and forth between the two of them.

Fenris stared in fascination as Sebastian's head curved even further back, his eyes shutting and mouth fallen open and gasping His back arched a little, then a second time, harder, almost convulsively. His stomach sucked in tight as he arched again, muscles clamping tightly around Fenris as the archer gave a hoarse shout, seed spurting out of his erection to spatter across his flexing stomach. Fenris moaned in excitement, leaning forward a little and thrusting into him harder yet. Bran's control broke then, and he leaned forward as well, no longer striving to stand motionless while Fenris thrust back and forth against him, but instead thrusting into the elf.

Bran's change in position pushed him hard into Sebastian, drawing another hoarse cry from the man beneath him. He cried out as well; he could not help it, not with Bran thrusting repeatedly into him. The man's hands moved from his hips to hold onto his shoulders instead, bruisingly hard, giving the seneschal the leverage he needed to pound energetically into Fenris. Bran's cries and Sebastian's echoed each other around him, as if Bran was fucking Sebastian through him. The thought was oddly exciting, as was the sight of Sebastian beneath him, smeared with spend and still crying out in pleasure as they rocked back and forth over him. Fenris shouted as he finally came, lines of lyrium flashing to full glow in the intensity of the spasms that gripped him. Bran was not far before him, the movement of his hips changing as his crest approached. He abruptly pulled out as Fenris collapsed forward over Sebastian, thrusting his erection back and forth between Fenris' buttocks for his final few strokes, his seed smearing in streaks across Fenris' lower back as he came as well.

They lay there in a precarious pile for a long moment, all of them panting for breath, before Bran carefully stood up and moved away. "Wait there," he said. "I'll get some water and towels."

Fenris nodded, content to remain where he was for now, still buried deep in Sebastian. He released the man's hands, noticing how his own were almost numb from how long they'd been tightly gripping each other's hands, and suspected Sebastian's were no better. The archer carefully closed his arms around him, hands warms and comforting on Fenris' quickly-cooling skin. "You're all right?" he asked, just the littlest bit anxiously.

Fenris smiled, and lifted his head to meet Sebastian's eyes. "Yes, I am all right," he agreed, then leaned forward enough to kiss the man, a single careful kiss on the lips. "Thank you," he said.

Sebastian smiled warmly at him, one hand moving to push Fenris' sweat-soaked hair back from his eyes. "I think I should thank you as well. And possibly Bran, too," he added, looking beyond Fenris as the seneschal re-entered the room, carrying a steaming basin, with a stack of towels draped over his shoulder and one wrapped around his own waist, having apparently taken enough time to clean himself up at least a little before returning.

Bran smiled as he spread a towel on the desk and set the basin down on it, then moved to clean the two of them off as much as he could before they tried to disentangle themselves. "I would like to thank both of you as well," he said. "That was... very nice. Very nice indeed. I am tempted to thank Isabela, since it was her argument with me that led to the bet, and the bet to this forfeit."

Sebastian laughed at that. "I would recommend against it," he said. "She'll never let us hear the end of it if you do."

"A good point," Bran agreed. "Then I will be satisfied with just thanking both of you for a most satisfactory evening."

Fenris stretched a little once he was upright and separated from Sebastian, before accepting a towel from Bran to finish cleaning himself off, while the seneschal wiped down Sebastian before assisting him to his feet as well.

"Sore?" Sebastian asked him.

Fenris smiled shyly. "A little. But it will pass."


End file.
